The present invention relates to a profiled sealing member that is made of elastomeric material, such as rubber or rubber-like synthetic material, and is to be disposed on a closeable opening of a motor vehicle body to seal off a window or windows, especially side door window panes, relative to the opening of the vehicle body. The profiled sealing member has a resiliently flexible sealing portion and a hollow space that can be pressurized and evacuated.
With profiled sealing members, which are usually mounted on the body of a motor vehicle, for example on the opening for a door, the free edge portion of the side window pane rests from the outside against the resiliently flexible sealing portion of the profiled sealing member. Known embodiments of such profiled sealing members are partially hose-shaped, or are made of a soft rubber or plastic. Side window panes that are sealed off with these known profiled sealing members tend to flutter at high vehicle speeds. In addition, unwelcome rattling noises can occur, especially where the roadway is in poor condition. Furthermore, the heretofore known profiled sealing members are not always in a position to optimally compensate for the unavoidable tolerances of the dimensions of the window panes and seals that occur during mass production, so that it is not possible to ensure to the desired extent that all of the window pane edges will be protected from the penetration of water, dust, or air draft.
U.K. patent application No. 2 067 337 Kruschwitz dated July 30, 1981 proposes a profiled sealing member where the aforementioned drawbacks are partially avoided. This known profiled sealing member essentially comprises a rubber or plastic hollow member against which the side window pane of a motor vehicle door resiliently rests. When the vehicle moves, air is pressed through an opening in a feed line to the hollow member, as a result of which the air pressure in the hollow member increases. The effect of this pressure increase is that the hollow member expands and thereby rests more securely against the window. In this way, a fluttering of the side window panes can be reduced at higher vehicle speeds.
It is an object of the present invention to improve a profiled sealing member of the aforementioned general type in such a way that not only the fluttering or movement of window panes at greater speeds is prevented, but it should also be possible to achieve a satisfactory sealing effect at greater gap tolerances. Furthermore, unwelcome rattling noises should also be capable of being avoided, even at low speeds.